Bonds of spirit, bonds of words
by Glenonaya
Summary: When a young knight takes on what should have been an ordinary task of ridding his realm of a danger, not even the seeress who tries to stop him fully foresaw the far reaching consequence that his actions will have.
1. Chapter 1

**Tags: ****Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Romance, First Time, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Developing Relationship, Character Development**

A/N: I've never written an AU before and I feel a few words of warning are in order before we set out.

1) This is a WIP and will be updated irregularly as I am working on other things as well. Additionally it is looking as if it's going to be something of a marathon story.

2) As this is an AU you will occasionally find that the characters behave in ways that their TOS counterparts do not and equally that the relationships between them is significantly altered in some cases.

3) All tags, characters and warnings are subject to change without warning. This current ones are the things and people I _know_ that you will encounter at the current time, but as the story develops it may go in directions I did not intend so proceed with great caution if you have triggers since I cannot promise they may not crop up at a later point.

4) For those who take their fanfiction without politics, this _will_ be highly political. I am also very much trying to avoid infecting this with the Chosen One syndrome and writing more in the line of ordinary people getting stuff done. Of course, in this universe 'ordinary people' includes elves, dragons and sorcerers so...

Based on feralvulcans knight!Kirk/dragon!Spock AU.

As always a heap of thanks to my invaluable beta lucycantdance.

Chapter 1

Though it had been over a week since the attack, the acrid smell of burnt grass and earth still clung faintly to the air, mixing with the briny scent of the nearby sea. Thick forest lay to the north and east that eventually gave way further north to mountains. To the south, beyond the village, the peninsula became salt marshes and grassland. This was the only human settlement on the whole peninsula, the most of it still considered elven land by ancient treaty, and if were not for the rare herbs that grew so plentiful in the primeval forest and got sent north to Fraydon through the mountain pass, their plight could very well have gone ignored by the king as concerns closer to the centre of the realm took precedence.

The sparse, brittle grass crunched under Kirk's boots as he walked through the burnt carnage of what used to be the village's outer meadows. Half of them had been scorched and the shelters for the goats had been burned to the ground, though the animals had escaped alive. Unlike their humans, they had been smart enough to bolt.

Two of the villagers were suffering from burns, after having attempted to fight off what they had termed 'a dragon'.

"Well, what do you think?" Bones' voice came from behind.

"Done already?" Jim returned without turning.

"Done as much as any healer could, time will have to do the rest. But that girl's going to have scars." The healer came up to stand beside his friend. "What possessed her, or either of them, to try and fight of a dragon I'll never know."

Kirk shook his head.

"Bones, there weren't any dragons."

"How do you explain this then," the healer asked, nodding towards the devastation.

"Swamp wyvern most likely. The landscape turns marshy not that far down the coast, it's the perfect kind of habitat for them."

"Sounded like more than a wyvern from what those two kids said."

"Those two 'kids' are old enough to both be married."

"Hrmph."

"But threats have a way of growing when you're frightened." Jim turned over one of the burnt planks from the shelter with the toe of his boot, then turned and looked at McCoy. "And it must have been terrifying to have that creature bearing down on them out here in the open."

"Seems rather extensive damage for a single wyvern and none of the animals were taken."

"Maybe it wasn't hunting but defending its territory."

"And let an easy meal of a herd of goats get away."

"It might have gone after the sheep if those 'kids' of yours hadn't charged it. You just don't want it to be a wyvern, do you? Why is your heart so set on old legends, Bones?"

"This just doesn't look like a wyvern attack to me. But what do I know, I'm just a sour old healer, you're the knight of Samue."

Kirk remained silent, knowing from experience that his friend was far from done.

"Who knows what lies beyond here," McCoy continued, waving his hand to the south and east. "There could be anything."

"Well, if you continue far enough east you'll be encountering either elves, sea, or both, and I doubt even they would welcome dragons. The beasts are said to be both ravenous and arrogant."

"You mean the elves wouldn't want competition for snootiness?"

"Bones, you've never even met an elf. You're just relying on hearsay."

"Hah. Proves how much you know. I have in fact met an elf once."

"When was that, as a toddler? After all, they shut their borders decades ago."

The dark haired man's eyes grew distant.

"No, not quite that young, though I was a very young man at the time, just begun my training as a healer."

Momentarily distracted from their argument, Jim asked, "What were they like?"

"There was only one, a woman. Young I think, but who can tell with elves. She came to the lyceum and made a formal address to the council, said she wished to study some of the scrolls."

"What happened?"

"You can guess what happened. She was told that only students and fully trained healers were allowed to use the library and when she asked where one applied for training the archdeacon told her that no woman had ever trained there and never would as long as he was in charge. The look she gave him, it could have frozen boiling oil. I thought she'd curse him right there."

"If she was a healer she wouldn't do that."

"Who's to say elven healers holds to the same truths we do?"

"I thought you couldn't do it? That the way you learn to heal prevents you from doing harm?"

Hesitant and somewhat shamefaced Bones looked at him.

"No. It's just what we tell most people. But it makes little difference, the oaths we've sworn bind us as firmly as any law of gods or nature could." When it looked as if Jim would protest, Bones added, "Could you turn your blade against the hierarch? The kyrie? The king?"

Kirk shook his head fiercely. "You know I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"You know damn well why," Kirk retaliated vehemently. "I swore to follow the precepts of the Order of the Shield, to protect this realm and its people. I _can't_ go back on that, I won't. Loyalty to Samue, clergy, the king and the land is the backbone of our training, you know that."

"As 'do no harm' is for a healer," Bones added softly when his friend was done.

For long moments the two men simply stared at each other, then Kirk nodded.

"But we're getting away from the subject. Let us say for the sake of argument that it _was_ a dragon who did this, what of it? My task remains no different, to prevent it from happening again. By whatever means necessary. These people may have settled at the very fringes of the realm, but they are still under the king's protection."

"But why hunt... it at all?" an unknown voice interrupted. It was low and with a soft lilt to it.

The two men turned to see a young black skinned woman, dressed in rough tunic and homespun trousers, black hair cut short and her hands covered by loose fitting leather gloves.

Kirk blinked. Her skin decreed that she originated either from Mytilene or an even more southerly realm, but her manner of dress spoke of her being local. Unusual. Her dark umber eyes were eyeing them cautiously, as if trying to reach some conclusion.

"Because if we don't it will come back and next time the villagers might not be so lucky," Bones replied.

"They brought this on themselves. They went far beyond what the treaty with the elves permits, now they should have learned not to. If they have it won't be back."

The woman's face remained impassive, her voice cool and unconcerned.

"We can't know that, beasts don't pay attention to treaties."

A flash of something passed across her face, but it was gone too fast for either man to determine what it was.

"Perhaps you are confusing it with a man." The words were so low that Kirk was unsure if she had spoken at all.

"You sound very certain. Do you know something about this being?"

"Nothing that any intelligent person could not conclude. It only wishes to be left alone, as do most of us. Of course, when men seek to expand their power, these are the ones who pay the price."

The young woman turned and headed towards the edge of the woods, Kirk called after her but she did not respond and disappeared between the undergrowth. Shaking his head Jim grabbed McCoy's arm and steered them back towards the village.

oOoOo

From underneath the shelter of the beech tree's low branches, Nyota saw the two men walk back toward the village.

_Had she said too much? Perhaps if she had not approached they would have left?_

No, the knight had the eyes of a predator and the healer would be right on his heels.

Tiredly she rubbed her gloved hands over her eyes. She hadn't slept properly in weeks, not since before those three fools went wandering way too far into the forest. Her dreams were haunted by blood and the sound of steel against steel. The last time they had come her world had been left in ruins. Now, in this place that, however small, was all she had left, the dreams had come again, and when she had seen the knight she could almost smell the deaths and violence that would follow in his wake.

She sighed. The future was not set in stone, the _Maitres_ had always said, the visions were a gift given so it could be guided in the direction that was desired. But those words had not spared their lives back then and she was unsure that they would be of any more use to her now.

She looked again, but the shapes of the two men had disappeared between the few houses of the village. Turning her head she peered into the distant thickness of the woods. _Perhaps He would listen where they would not?_

Doubtful. He was as prideful and stubborn as any other foreign male she had met, but she could think of nothing else. If the knight carried out his set task then war would be assured and she had seen enough of that and the plundering, rape and disease that inevitably followed in its wake to last her several lifetimes.

She started to walk back towards the dwellings, but in a circle so she would not run into the knight and his friend. She intended to collect her few belongings before she headed out, whether she was successful or not she could not be sure if she would be welcome upon returning. And the lesson life had taught her in the last couple of years was to always take pre-emptive measures whenever possible.

oOoOo

"What did you make of her?" Kirk asked while consulting the map he'd pulled from his saddlebag.

A short, if pointed, conversation with the village elder had extracted the information that yes indeed three of the younger and more impatient members of the community had wandered much further east than was permitted, something that had only been discovered after their return.

It left Kirk in a quandary. Swamp wyverns did not habitually dwell in forests, though there was still ample opportunity for it to be something other than the much vaunted "dragon".

"Who? The girl back there?"

"Yes."

"Mytilenaean refugee, that much is clear. Though I'm a bit surprised at her youth."

"No, not many young women escaped Kodos and his forces."

McCoy studied his friend closely.

"You still don't agree with the king's policy?"

"Or the hierarch's," Jim answered tersely, folding up the map and putting it in its case. "This is no use. This thing is a copy of the latest elven map we have and that's more than 100 years old. It shows forest running all the way to the other side of the peninsula, but who knows what's happened in the meantime?"

Bones recognised Kirk's clumsy attempt to change the subject for what it was, but decided to let it go, the issue of the invasion of Mytilene and Terranis' subsequent lack of action was a subject that had kept his friend going on long tirades before, and he was all too happy to not have to listen to another.

"You still have your heart set on that swamp wyvern?"

"It's more likely than your dragon. Face it Leonard, dragons don't exist. They never did. Except in myths and stories of the gods."

"Those myths had to come from somewhere, Jim."

"Yes, dreams and nightmares after overindulgence most likely. Let's repack our bags."

"Why?"

"Come on Bones, we can't take the horses in there, the undergrowth is so thick that even on foot we'll have a hard time. They'll have to stay here for the time being."

Grumbling, the healer set to unpacking and repacking their saddlebags and backpacks.

"What do you intend to do when you find the critter?"

"Well, assuming you _are_ correct and it _is_ a dragon, maybe we should talk to it. They're said to be quite intelligent. That is when they aren't hunting people or burning cities."

"Yeah, you go ahead and laugh. I am really wishing it is a dragon just to wipe that smug smile off your face. But assuming I'm _wrong_, then what?"

"That depends on what it is. If it's a local animal just protecting its territory then the girl is right, the villagers will be fine as long as they stay within the assigned area."

"So you'll let whatever it is live?"

"If that _is_ the case and the creature doesn't show any signs of seeking to endanger the village again, why kill it?"

"I can think of more than one knight who'd say 'kill the thing and be done with it'."

"And you know I'm not one of them."

"Yes." Bones looked at his friend as Kirk put on his backpack. That was why Jim's vocal advocacy of retaliation against Kodos and seeking to dislodge the warlord from Mytilene puzzled him so greatly. It was unlike Jim to be so bloodthirsty.

Kirk looked back at him.

"Are you coming? Or do I have to face the dangers of the unknown forest alone?"

Hoisting up the backpack with a loud 'umph', Bones shot him a sour look.

"Better not let you wander off alone, no guessing what you'd get yourself into. Like the thing with that miller."

"That was not what it looked like, I explained that to you."

"In a pig's eye."

Bickering gently the two of them headed towards the murky depths of the woods.

oOoOo

_Crumbling stone falling on moss-covered flagstones made one of his ears prick up, only to immediately subside once more._

_Only a squirrel. No furless two legged trespassers who thought they could wander as they pleased this time._

_Though knowing humans, more would soon come. It was too much to hope that they would heed the warning._


	2. Chapter 2

Sunlight filtered dimly through the thick treetops. This late in the year the leaves had begun to turn, even this far south, but they still clung to the trees. Up north, the trees already stood naked, but here there were still remnants of autumn's heat in the air.

Jim wore his leather armour, the heavier chainmail left behind with the horses. While it would offer more protection in case of battle, its weight and the clanging made it impractical for stealth. Bones trudged on behind him as they battled their way through the halfway overgrown animal track, silent at first, but as the day wore on and the straps of the backpack began to bite into his shoulders, he punctured each step with a low muttering grumble.

"Hush, Leonard."

"You don't actually think we can sneak up on this, whatever it is?"

"Not if you keep going on like that."

"How far did these idiots even go?"

"Not much further, though I suggest we camp for the night in the next likely spot. I don't like the idea of hunting this thing in the dark."

"Sounds good to me, I could do with a hot meal."

"No fires, Leonard. We don't want to become its meal. After all, that was the whole point in waiting for tomorrow."

"Killjoy."

**oOoOo**

Darkness had long since fallen, but Nyota still made her way through the dense woods with great certainty. Navigating this wilderness was almost easier in the dark than by daylight once you knew the trick. 'Look up, not down', because when you looked up you could see the sky between the thick foliage in some places, and that was where the path ran. The only things she had to worry about were roots and holes in the ground, but she kept her pace slow and steady.

Even at a reduced pace she would reach the ruins of _Aba'kur_ before the knight and his friend. If either of them had any sense they would camp for the night rather than face unknown dangers in the dark, but as she was familiar with these woods she saw no reason not to press on. It was her best chance to overtake them and find Spock before they did.

**oOoOo**

Kirk, his attention on the sunlit path ahead of him and not on his feet, nearly stumbled over something and had to lean heavily against an ancient oak to keep his balance. Looking down to see what had caught the toe of his boot he noticed a rock-like something poking out of the earth. He hunkered down and brushed away the moss and grime.

"Bones, have you seen this?"

"A rock? You'll find those in nature, you know."

"No," Kirk grunted, pulling at the item in an attempt to dislodge it from the ground. "not stone, wood. Petrified wood I think. Carved petrified wood at that. Damn, it's stuck."

McCoy crouched down next to his friend and studied Kirk's find. Only a few inches of the wood poked out of the ground and that bit was heavily weathered, but still the fine carvings on the surface were visible. When new it would have been a work of art more intricate than any human master crafter could even hope to achieve.

"Elven?" he asked

"That much is clear. And hardly surprising, this is ancient elven land. It looks like it could be the remnant of a pillar or column, so there may be ruins nearby."

"And this is significant how?"

"Something as large as what attacked Brunibyr needs something big that'd make for a proper lair. Abandoned buildings would be perfect for it. Not to mention, if they're of the quality these carvings suggest, they'll be in good condition even if they have been long abandoned. So we should proceed with caution, we might come upon it much sooner than we anticipated."

**oOoOo**

Nyota had reached the huge, cavernous building Spock commonly used as his lair slightly before dawn. Unfortunately she found it empty. Worriedly she wondered if she should go look for him only to immediately dismiss the thought again. He could be anywhere on the peninsula and her chance of finding him was infinitesimal at best if she left.

Sighing, she trudged up the central staircase, along the left side walkway and into one of the abandoned rooms. As far as she could tell, the building had once been some sort of municipal building, though no piece of furniture or decoration remained to give a clue. Knowing she could do nothing now but wait and hope Spock returned before the knight arrived, she found a sheltered corner where moss and leaves had collected and curled up, tucking one arm beneath her head as a pillow, to await the dragon's return.

**oOoOo**

The trees began to thin and the earthen track beneath their feet became a road paved with broken flagstone. Then ancient walls appeared among the trees, the stone and wood that they had been built with slowly but surely being reclaimed by the forest that now grew where once elves had walked. What had once been open plazas had been taken over by oak and beech and bramble while grass and flowers broke the stony pavements.

Despite the ruined, overgrown appearance it was clear that at its height this had been a place to see and it made McCoy whistle softly. Kirk instantly clasped a hand over his mouth, earning him a frown from the healer.

"When I told you to be quiet I meant it," the knight hissed into his ear and removed his hand.

"You really think that thing is hiding here?" Bones asked in a whisper.

Kirk simply nodded, opting for non-verbal communication. He drew his sword and, waving the healer behind him, headed down the wide street towards the plaza, eyes and ears alert for anything out of the ordinary.

The buzzing of insects and chirping birds drowned out the clomp of their boots against the stone, but apart from the wildlife disturbed by their passing, nothing stirred.

Time passed with agonising slowness as they searched the sprawling ruins. A single squirrel chittered at them, mad at them for getting to close to its lair, and stone crumbled under their feet as they proceeded in silence, but there was no large and fearsome beast to be seen.

Finally McCoy broke the tense silence.

"Jim, there's nothing here larger than a badger."

A thunderous noise brought their attention to the sky, and they watched as a gigantic form, silhouetted against the sun, rushed down towards them.

Grabbing Bones by the arm, Kirk practically threw the healer through the opening in a nearby crumbling wall and flung himself to the ground, only narrowly avoiding being struck by claws as long as his forearm.

Twisting and rolling onto his feet, he turned about to find the beast. The huge reptilian creature was climbing into the air once more. Kirk stared at it, eyes widening in shock. It was much larger than any wyvern could ever be, at least 50 meters from snout to rump and then there was the tail.

All his panicked mind could think was _'dragon, Bones was right, it was a dragon'_ as the creature came about and once more dove towards him.

The thought of his friend snapped him out of his fugue-like state.

"Bones, get out of here. Now!" he yelled. Turning on his heel, he dodged behind a crumbling building and backtracked their path at a run, his satchel slapping hard against his back.

As long as that thing was in the air he didn't have a chance, he had to make it attack him on the ground somehow. Recalling a large building he and Bones had passed scant moments before, he set his course and loped down the street, keeping close to the wall and under the outcroppings as much as possible. Why it had not simply tried to incinerate them both in its first attack he didn't know, but he was not about to present the creature with a target if he could help it.

The sudden sound of massive footfalls behind him made Jim cast a quick glance over his shoulder. Apparently the beast had realised that he was not going to give it a chance to strike at him from the air and had therefore taken to the ground to give chase. It appeared it was even faster and more nimble on the ground than in the air.

Sharply turning a corner he recalled his joke to Leonard the day before – _was that all it had been, a single day? – that if it was a dragon they could talk to it. Well it was worth a shot, though not without some sort of advantage or the beast would likely just gobble him up._

Up ahead he spotted what had once been a columned walkway, but the elaborately carved columns had long since tumbled against each other, creating a narrow passage in the otherwise open ruins. The... dragon would have a hard time fitting in there.

Dodging a low hanging yew branch, Kirk headed straight for the walkway and slid beneath the toppled columns.

He crawled backwards as far as he could while he addressed the creature that was slowly approaching the ruined walkway.

"Listen, I'm sorry for just barging in. Is there any way we talk about this?"

The being snorted and Kirk smelled its hot, mephitic breath.

"There has been enough talk. Humans are incapable of heeding a warning, now you must face the consequences."

"But we haven't spoken at all," Jim protested.

The dragon proceeded as if Jim hadn't said anything.

"Your kind have trespassed on territory which is not yours for the last time."

"Listen if it's about those two youngsters, they learned their lesson. They won't be back and neither will anyone else if you let me return-"

"No!" the creature roared. "You have been warned often enough and always you promise not to transgress, yet always you do so. This is the end."

Grabbing one broken column in one of its huge paws, the dragon pulled hard, dislodging it and tossing it aside. The remaining columns trembled threateningly, as if the whole structure was about to collapse on Kirk's head. The knight swallowed hard. In hindsight, this might not have been the best idea; even if the columns didn't bury him, the dragon would eventually reach him.

The walkway had run right up against a large building and there were gaps in its decaying walls, gaps large enough for Jim to fit through. Once inside he could hopefully buy enough time to think of a plan.

Waiting until the dragon was engaged in pulling away yet another column, Kirk leapt towards the nearest gap and scrambled through it. He scurried across the room he found himself in, knocking hard against the opposing wall, unable to see properly in the gloom.

His eyes quickly adjusted to the diminished lighting and after a few seconds he found the one door in the small room. He rushed through it and continued down the hallway he found on the other side, ending up in a great hall.

A set of double doors, hanging slightly ajar, led back outside and there was another hallway across the room and two flights of stairs leading to a walkway one storey up. The hall itself had large statues made of bluish white stone unfamiliar to the knight, set into alcoves that lined all of the walls.

The thump of approaching footsteps made him look for a hiding place and he dodged into one of the alcoves and crouched down behind the statue. As he did so he realised his predicament, if the dragon came in here he would be trapped, he had better-

His thoughts were cut short by the sound of the floor creaking under the weight of the massive being and he could hear it - _he? The creature had sounded male, but who knew with a dragon?_ – snuffling, testing the air for his scent.

_How do you hurt something that big?_

His gaze fell on the crumbling plinth behind which he was hiding. Much of it was completely missing in the front, if he pushed hard enough... but the dragon needed to be near to be caught. Which, Jim considered, might not be such a big problem, because he could hear it coming closer and closer to his hiding spot. Jim realised he would need a distraction, and picked the first one that entered his head.

As silently as he could he pulled his sword from its sheath and lifted it over his shoulder.

The dragon neared, stopping not two metres away. It sniffed the air intensely, but Kirk – daring a peek around the statue – saw that its eyes were not on his hiding place.

Rising halfway to his feet, he lopped the sword across the room. It hit the floor with an infernal clatter, immediately drawing the dragon's attention. The instant the dragon was distracted, Kirk rose to his full height and, bracing his back against the wall of the alcove, pushed his feet against the middle of the statue.

The dragon heard the creak of the stone giving way and spun about, only to see the statue topple toward its head. Kirk saw the creature trying to jump clear, but despite its best efforts the statue still fell across its back, and its escape attempt caused it to hammer one shoulder hard against the nearest set of stairs. Roaring in pain, the creature collapsed to the floor.

Dodging around it, Kirk ran to the other side of the hall and snatched up his sword. He spun on his heel, certain that the creature would be upon him in an instant, but instead he found it still lying with the statue broken over its hindquarters and its torso partway up the stairs.

His first instinct was to run for the door, but a deep groan from the dragon drew his attention back to it and now he noticed the pool of liquid gathering beneath it.

_Blood? But why did it look green?_

Approaching cautiously, Kirk reached out to touch one limp wing.

"So human, you win. The land is without its guardian, you may do as you wish. For now." The dragon's voice was a low rumble.

Jim ascended the stairs so that he was level with the dragon's head and sat.

"Oh for... I am not planning to invade. I'm only here because you attacked that village. I thought you were a swamp wyvern, because, dragons... well. I didn't think they existed."

"It makes little difference, if the invader is not you then it will be someone else. Humans always claim what is not theirs to take. Your kind have already encroached repeatedly on these lands."

"Who? Who has come here? Do you mean the people in the village?"

"Not them, men in mail and carrying blades. The greed for what these lands once held, and still hold, was plain in their eyes."

With every word the dragon's voice grew weaker and as it fell silent its eyes closed and it drew a shuddering breath.

Seeing it – him – so weakened made Kirk's heart clench.

"No," he whispered. He pulled his satchel over his head, rapidly undid the strap tying his blanket to the top.

"Spare your efforts, it is too late."

"It can't be, I won't let it be."

"The wood pierced my shoulder and went through a vein, the wound is too deep for you to staunch it. And even if you did, then what? No, knight. Leave me to die in piece."

Jim shook his head mutely, feeling how tears stung his eyes.

"No one should die alone," he whispered.

When the dragon didn't protest he rose up on one knee and laid one hand on the dragon's long neck.

"I'm sorry," he continued. "I shouldn't have come." He stroked the neck, the scales felt warm and smooth beneath his palm. "Why couldn't we talk?"

The tears he had felt gather fell from his eyes, raining down on the dragon's jaw. Stirring, it turned its head slowly, laboriously opened one eye and looked at the knight.

"Thou weep for me?" it muttered.

"Yes. This... this is not how it should have been." Kirk found himself wanting to scream at the injustice and the irony, scant moments ago he had been trying to harm the dragon, now he would give anything to save his life.

Sighing, the great creature lay its head down again.

"Then you may have granted me one boon, that I may die in my own form."

As it spoke the dragon's shape shimmered and blurred, shrinking rapidly until it was the size of a man. Though the pale, naked shape that lay on the stairs next to the knight was no human, the pointed ears and slanted eyebrows announced to all and sundry its elven blood. The elf's skin was a ghastly grey, long flowing hair pooling beneath him soaking up the blood and his breath shallow and rapid.

"Who are you?"

"It matters not now. Goodbye, knight. I thank you for this boon, though for nothing else," the elf said, closing his eyes once more.

Shaking his head in defiance again, Jim grabbed his dagger and cut three long, thin ribbons off the blanket. Turning the elf's naked body over, he saw that the shoulder did indeed have a deep jagged wound. Folding up one strap of cloth into a thick square, he pressed it into the wound and used the other two to hold it as tightly in place as he could. But even as he did so he could see that the elf had been right, his life was quickly slipping away with the still flowing blood and without immediate aid he would die.

Hoping that Bones had stayed true to his nature, and thus remained close despite the danger rather than suddenly starting to listen to him, Jim lifted the elf gently into his arms and carried him out the building.

**oOoOo**

Crouching down behind the walkway railing, Nyota saw the knight leaving the building carrying Spock's body in his arms.

_He was an elf? Was that the secret he had hinted at, but never told when he nursed her? And had the knight killed him? No, if he had he would not have taken the time to bandage Spock's wound._

Her head still felt mussy and disoriented from the abrupt awakening the by the sounds of battle. She had sneaked out of her hiding place only to come upon the final confrontation between knight and dragon in the hall. Seeing Spock fall she had realised she had been too late, that all would come to pass as she had feared.

_Or would it? Spock still lived and if the healer could heal his wounds..._

_No_, she realised, _that would not be enough_. Not if Spock was an elf and not a dragon, even if his body was healed he would still die.

_Or maybe..._

She looked down at her gloved hands. She was hesitant to reveal herself for many reasons, but if it could save the elf's life, prevent her vision from becoming true… _Wouldn't it be worth it then?_

And she owed him. No, she could not just abandon Spock, whatever it may cost her.

Her mind made up, Nyota rose to her feet and descended the stairs, intent on finding the knight, the healer and the man to whom she owed her life.


	3. Chapter 3

"BONES!" Kirk roared as he made his way down the outside stairs as quickly as he dared, blinded as he was by the abrupt change from gloom to bright daylight.

"BONES, WHERE ARE YOU?"

Blinking rapidly to clear his watery eyes, he surveyed the open area in front of the building but saw nothing but trees, bushes and deteriorating buildings. He prepared to yell a third time when the crunching of boots on gravel sounded to his right. He turned to see McCoy come around the corner of a nearby house, approaching at a light jog.

"Bones, I need your help. He's injured, badly." Kirk nodded towards the elf in his arms.

The sight of the naked body Jim cradled in his arms made the healer's eyebrows rise.

"Where in the name of Zerkith did you find an elf? And what happened to the dragon? It can't be safe standing here yapping with that thing around."

"It's... gone. He," Jim nodded again towards the elf. "Was the dragon." Seeing that Bones was about to go into a longer spiel he quickly continued. "We don't have time to argue. He doesn't have the time. He's dying as we speak."

Giving the elf a closer look, the healer's face turned worried.

"What happened?"

"He was stabbed in the shoulder by some broken wood. It went deep and he's bleeding badly."

"I see you've staunched the bleeding. Let's get to get him somewhere with a bit of comfort then, I don't want to work on him out here exposed to the elements."

Bones threw a look over Kirk's shoulder at the building he just exited, but the knight shook his head.

"The fight damaged the building, I'm not sure how stable it is. How about that one?" Jim nodded towards a small, mostly intact house about 30 metres down a side street. Bones nodded in agreement.

The inside of the small house was quite comfortable, the larger buildings around it had spared it much of the wind and weather, leaving the roof, walls and doors almost intact and as a result the floor was mostly clear of leaves and dirt.

Putting the elf down gently in a corner, Jim stepped aside and let McCoy get to work. The healer knelt beside the elf and placed one hand on his forehead and another on his shoulder close to the wound, brushing away the long hair as he placed it there. Closing his eyes McCoy went into a trance.

Kirk could feel himself begin to fidget as he watched his friend. Knowing that there was nothing he could do to help and that pacing would only serve to distract Bones, he gathered their satchels and went about making camp. Even if Bones succeeded in saving the elf, they would be going nowhere else today.

His first action was to take one of their blankets and drape it over the elf's body. Even though the day was unseasonably warm, the air could hardly be called hot. He moved carefully, not wishing to jostle the patient or otherwise disturb the healer, and as he did so he couldn't help but notice the elf's broad shoulders, furred chest and strong muscular arms – somehow this was not how he had envisioned an elf would look. Tugging the blanket carefully around the naked form, he returned his attention to making camp.

The thought _'if Bones succeeded?'_ kept running through his mind. It made his stomach clench and his gaze drifted back to the elf, half hidden behind the kneeling healer. His face was so pale it almost shone in the dim light, the long black hair making it appear even more pallid. Jim bit his lip. If he had killed him over what was so clearly a misunderstanding, how was he going to live with it?

_And those two youngsters back in Brunibyr? He could have killed them._

_But they were the ones attacking him, _a different voice in his head argued. _Didn't he have the right to defend his own territory? And was he a dragon, or an elf or what?_

Thoughts churning chaotically in his head, he turned back to building up a fire in the fireplace. When he had stepped outside the house to collect firewood, he'd constantly had the feeling of being observed. Once he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned nothing was there. Maybe he was imagining things.

_Or maybe this place is haunted_, he thought.

Camp set as well as it was ever going to be, his attention turned once more to his friend and the prostrate elf. McCoy hadn't moved a muscle in all that time and it made Jim nervous. His healings never took this long.

Finally the dark haired man moved, stretching his back as his hands fell away from his patient.

"I don't understand," he muttered.

"Don't understand what?" Kirk asked as he rose to join his friend.

"He should be stable. I've closed his wound, mended two fractured ribs and a break to his thigh bone – what in the world did you do to him? – the blood loss should render him weak but not like this."

"Like what?"

"It's like he's... fading in a way I've never felt before. I can almost feel his life slipping away and nothing I do seems to stop it or even slow it."

A shadow fell over the room as someone stepped through the door.

"There is nothing you can do, healer," the shadowed figure said.

oOoOo

Neither the knight nor the healer had noticed her when she had exited the old communal building, not surprising as they'd had their backs to her as they hurried towards a small nearby house.

Having avoided initial detection, Nyota's determination wavered. _Would Spock die? Was he really an elf or something different altogether? If he wasn't an elf then perhaps it wouldn't be necessary for her to reveal herself._

When neither man exited the house she dared to creep closer, circling around the back of the building to peek in through the open windows. Only through the fourth did she see them, the healer kneeling next to Spock while the knight appeared to be unpacking, but she immediately had to duck down out of sight as the knight looked up and nearly caught sight of her. Hearing booted feet leaving the room she ventured a look around the house and saw the knight's back as he went to look for firewood.

Looking back into the room, now only the healer and Spock present, she could see how pale the elf's skin was in the dim light. Almost transparent. His chest rose and sank irregularly and he seemed to be almost... fading.

Sinking down out of sight again she swallowed hard. Whatever else he was, Spock was clearly elven enough that the severing of the bond to the land that his dragon form must have forced on him was now draining him of his very life force.

Vaguely she noticed the return of the knight's boots inside and the soft bustling noises as he made camp, but her thoughts were miles away in another time and place.

oOoOo

_"Nyota!"_

_Uhura didn't look up, she already knew what she would see – Eirene, with an irritated expression on her face._

_"Reading. Again. You should be in meditations now you know."_

_"The Maitres don't mind," she answered not looking up from the old, crumbling papyrus that lay before her._

_"The Maitres don't have a personal hand in your training. I do. What is it that's so fascinating this time?"_

_"Elves."_

_She heard her mentor sigh deeply._

_"If what this says is true-"_

_"Doubtful. Everything in this part of the library is so ancient it can hardly be considered anything but myth. The elves haven't been on speaking terms with humans in decades and they haven't been willing to share any valuable information for centuries. Whatever that scroll says it's either nonsense or trivialities, leave it. You'll go join the others in meditation now, Nyota."_

_Uhura wanted to argue but when she finally looked upon Eirene's face she saw that it would do her no good, her mentor's mind was made up on the matter. She didn't know why she felt even remotely surprised, Eirene had never had any time for the stories of old or any kind of knowledge that wasn't readily applicable. Some might consider her aversion to knowledge odd in a seer, but that was Eirene._

_"As you wish, Sevasmios."_

_Carefully rolling the papyrus back up, Nyota returned it to its case and placed it back on its shelf under Eirene's watchful eye. The other woman apparently didn't want to risk Nyota ignoring her orders by leaving her alone._

_As they exited the library, the sun making their white dresses almost painfully bright against their dark skin, and headed toward the olive groves where the meditation classes were held, Eirene continued._

_"And I want you at the banquet tonight."_

_Uhura sighed, the thought of having to dress up and act nice in the presence of the governor did not fill her with joy. In fact she'd do just about anything to avoid it; he always made her skin crawl but unfortunately there was nothing she _could_ do._

_"Yes, Sevasmios."_

_"I know you don't like him, but he has expressed a wish to meet all our students and that includes you."_

_"Yes, Sevasmios."_

_"And behave yourself. I know how sharp your tongue can be, please don't stir up trouble. We can ill afford getting on the governor's bad side just now."_

_Nyota's temper snapped._

_"Can we ever? What kind of life is this, always having to bow and scrape to that-"_

_"The only one we have."_

_"But it wasn't always like this, in the records-"_

_"But it is now, we have no choice in the matter. This is the only way we can be safe. No, silence Nyota. You have lessons to attend to. And you _will_ behave yourself tonight," Eirene snapped, giving Uhura a pointed look._

_Taking a deep breath the younger woman simply nodded._

_"Now, off with you."_

_Eirene turned and walked back towards the main temple building, not looking to see if her young charge obeyed orders – probably assuming that she had achieved her surrender – but for long moments Uhura stared at the library, longing to return to its dark safety away from all the horrors that lived by daylight. Then she shook her head. If she didn't report to her lessons it would be reported and, like her order, she could ill afford to get into any more trouble right now. The tales of the elves and their bonds with the land would have to wait until later._

oOoOo

Nyota looked off into the woods, fiercely blinking the tears gathering in her eyes away and swallowing hard to remove the lump from her throat. She had not always agreed with Eirene, but the older woman had not deserved what happened to her. But then again, none of them had. At least she had taken away a lesson from it – never trust those who call you 'friend' but want you to give up what you value most.

But never mind, none of this helped her now. She owed the unconscious elf inside that house her life and she could not repay him with his death, which would surely happen if she walked away. All she could hope was that elves had once trusted humans better than they did now and that what those ancient scrolls had said was true.

Pushing herself to her feet she strode around the building. As she approached the doorway she heard a voice that must belong to the healer from inside, "It's like he's... fading in a way I've never felt before. I can almost feel his life slipping away and nothing I do seems to stop it or even slow it."

Taking a deep breath Nyota stepped through the door opening.

"There is nothing you can do, healer," she said.


	4. Chapter 4

Still crouched beside McCoy, Kirk spun on his heel at the sound of Uhura's voice, his sword halfway out of its sheath before he realised it was only the young girl from the village, while Bones nearly tumbled over in surprise.

Slowly rising to his feet with a soft smile, Kirk looked at her.

"You seem to be making a habit of this, don't you? And aren't you a little bit far from home?"

"I no longer have one," Nyota said flatly.

Before Jim could say anymore, McCoy interrupted.

"What do you mean 'there's nothing I can do'?"

The girl's gaze shifted from the knight to the healer.

"Your skills concern themselves only with the body, but it is not his physical wounds that is killing him. Elves need to have their souls tied to the land, without such ties they will die."

"He didn't seem to have any problems as a dragon. Quite lively he was," Bones muttered.

"As a dragon he would not have needed them. In fact, a dragon's nature might have severed them."

"He said something before he passed out," Kirk interrupted. "About being allowed to die in his own form. It sounded as if he had been... trapped in the dragon's shape. Could some form of magic have done that? And severed those bonds at the same time?" He looked questioningly at Uhura.

"Possibly. Whatever the case he is obviously elven now and with an elf's needs."

"You claim to know an awful lot about things most humans can only speculate on," McCoy snarked. "Who are you and what are you doing here? And how old are you? You barely look old enough to marry. "

"My age is irrelevant and I'm here because I owe this man a debt. As for _who_ I am?" With the feeling of stepping off a high ledge, Nyota removed her gloves to reveal her hands. On the back of each of them was the crimson tattoo of a serpent's head, the body snaking its way up her wrists, disappearing under her sleeves.

McCoy instantly recoiled, almost overturning himself in the process, while Kirk reached out towards the tattooed hands until his fingers hovered right above them.

"A Pythia?" He said, his voice a puzzled whisper. "I thought..."

"That we had all been killed? Well, one escaped."

Though she kept her face immobile she could not deny her surprise at the knight's response. She knew the insidious rumours that flew around about her kind, she had heard them even on Mytilene, but it wasn't until she set foot on the mainland that she realised how bad things really had become and how much the Maitres had deluded themselves into thinking that the damage could be undone and everything could go back to the way it once was. So the mix of fear and revulsion on the dark haired man's face was only what she would have expected, but the knight's open and almost innocent curiosity threw her a bit.

"How did you-"

Shaking herself mentally, Nyota brought her mind back to the present, interrupting the knight before the conversation derailed.

"But we have more urgent problems than what I am and how I came to be here." She nodded towards the unconscious elf.

"Well what do you propose? Since I am apparently unfit I assume you have a method, though I thought your kind worked more with the dead than the living," the healer snapped with ill-disguised hostility.

For a second she considered arguing the point, but Spock didn't have the time for her to get involved in a long debate. Ignoring the healer, she turned her attention to the knight.

"I cannot give him the ties he needs to the land, but I can tie him to the spirit of another. It won't be a permanent solution, but it will buy time find one."

"You mean, to me."

Though the knight's words were not spoken as a question Nyota nodded.

"Yes. His blood is on your hands, the debt is yours."

"Okay."

The healer grabbed his arm.

"Jim, don't. You have no idea what will happen."

"Maybe," the knight cut him off. "But she's right. It's my fault he's dying, if I can stop that in any way I have to try."

The dark haired man tried to make further protests, but the blond ignored him.

"What do I do?"

"First move him onto one of the beds then lie down on the other. This will take a while."

The knight gave the healer a nod, indicating that he should help him move the elf. For a long second it looked like the other man would refuse to help, but when it proved obvious that the blond would move Spock with or without help the healer unbent enough to help shift the elf a few feet onto one of the sleeping mats.

As they put him down the healer tried again.

"Jim listen, this'll likely be dangerous. There has to be something else-"

"Maybe there is, but we don't have time to find out what it is." When it looked like his friend was still not convinced, Jim continued: "You don't have to participate in it. Just stay outside if you want, but I'm doing this. I have no choice."

"Oh no, I'm staying right here."

"Then I'll ask you to be quiet," Nyota said, waving her hand for the knight to lie down.

Kirk followed orders and lay down on the second bed.

Vaguely aware that the healer was glaring at her from next to the fireplace where he had positioned himself, Nyota laboriously knelt down on the ground and folded her hands.

Breathing deeply and regularly, Nyota found that place in her mind that was not a place at all, the colourless void that existed outside of space and time. Vaguely aware of the essence of both men and the elf near her she decided to deal with the familiar first and reach for the human spirit, only attempting the elf once she had a firm grasp.

Focusing, she visualised a dark ghostly body. With one opaque hand she reached out towards the bright, many-coloured shimmering that was the knight in this non-space. Touching it, she seized hold of the spirit and guided a part of it along with her as she made her way towards Spock. A small part of her mind marvelled at how vibrant the knight's spirit was and how easily it complied; this could not be normal to him and yet he did not shy away or struggle against her grip.

She firmly brought her attention back to her actions. She could ill afford idle musings right now. She had never touched an elf's spirit and had little idea of what to expect so she would need to keep her wits about her.

Emerald and sepia shot through with copper was Spock, and it was utterly beyond anything she had ever encountered. The spirit was fading rapidly, feeling all but gone as she first touched it, but as any living thing it was desperate to remain alive by whatever means available to it. At her touch it stirred, summoning its last strength, and leapt at her; a fierce, snarling thing looking for that which would help it survive. The strength and ferocity of the elven soul surprised her and it took all her skill and strength to keep it from consuming her as she guided it in the direction she wanted.

When it touched the knight's soul it immediately latched on, digging in deep, feeding of its lush strength to sustain itself.

Nyota allowed it to proceed unhindered for several moments until it had regained some solidity, but when she reached out, intending to restrain its predations, it turned on her and snarled at her interference. If she had had the time she would have sent Eirene and Savros a grateful thought for drilling her through her exercise again and again, for only because of her practise did she manage to raise her defences in time.

Deflecting the assault she dived under the elf, positioning herself between him and the knight. When the seething emerald and sepia form came at her she dodged aside so that the elf's momentum carried back to the knight. Losing no time she envisioned a thin golden thread, lassoed it around them both, once, twice, thrice and then a fourth time, securing them together, then continued to bind the elf so that he could not cause the knight any great harm.

Throughout the process Spock snarled and fought, but the knight remained oddly passive. Nyota had expected him to fight the unusual and undoubtedly unpleasant sensation, but he submitted to the process with no fuss. _Perhaps he was that used to taking orders?_

Finally her work was done, the bonds as good as she knew how to make them. She found herself almost unable to return to her body, in her exhaustion the temptation to remain in this comfortable void was almost overwhelming, but she knew that if she did she would likely lose her path back for good since there was no one else to guide her back. Summoning the very last of her strength she struggled back to her physical shell, with all the pains and memories it held.

**oOoOo**

For the umpteenth time since the witch settled down to do whatever dark magic she intended, Bones suppressed the desire to begin pacing. As a healer he knew how dangerous any kind of interruption could be, even with simple procedures, and this seemed anything but simple. Bones had no idea what she was doing and he did not want to leave Jim in worse straits by interfering, so he sat still and let it all it run its course.

Attempting to occupy himself, he studied the dark skinned woman. Well girl really. She still hadn't said how old she was, but the way she looked she couldn't be much older than Joanna and her oversized tunic and baggy breeches made her look even smaller and younger than she was.

_Don't be fooled_, a small voice whispered. _She may look young but that doesn't mean she isn't dangerous._

McCoy rubbed his face. The stories that were told about the Pythia were many. That they weren't just seers, that they controlled the will of men and by that attempted to control the future in their favour, that they bound the spirits of the dead and only released them when they had drained them of all power and knowledge…the rumours went on and on.

Most of them were too fantastic to lend much credence, but where there was smoke there had to be fire, and now his too noble friend had thrown himself at the mercy of one. Had she enchanted him without McCoy noticing? No, Jim had always been willing to go out on a limb and sacrifice himself with little apparent cause.

A tiny sound escaped from the blond's lips, making Leonard's attention jerk back to his friend. He looked pale and a thin sheen of sweat coated his skin. The elf didn't look too good either, or maybe elves were supposed to look like that, light greenish grey? The one elf he had ever seen, the young female who had come to the lyceum all those many years ago, had had a much darker skin tone so who was he to judge how a fair skinned elf should look when healthy?

Moments passed, then Jim sighed softly and his body relaxed as if in deep sleep, though his skin tone didn't improve.

The witch straightened up and pushed herself slowly and stiffly to her feet.

"They will sleep for a while now while they adjust to the changes."

She moved towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my things. Or do you intend for me to sleep on the floor?"

"Why come back at all?" Part of him wished she would disappear and never return.

"And what would you do if something goes wrong in their bond?"

"I thought you knew what you were doing?"

"I do," she bit back, folding her arms. "But can you honestly tell me that in all your years as a healer you have never experienced anything going wrong due to unknown factors?"

She dodged around him without waiting for an answer and disappeared through the doorway. For a moment Bones considered following her, but continuing the argument was pointless. And besides she was right, they needed her now, if something went wrong he wouldn't know where to begin to fix it.

He turned back to the room and the two unconscious forms. Going over to Jim, he knelt down beside him and gently tugged the blanket out from underneath his friend and covered him with it. No reason for him to get chills if he were going to sleep for a while.


	5. Chapter 5

Nyota hurried out of the small house and back to the large communal building where she had left her things.

As she bent to retrieve the small bundle from the floor the whole room started spinning in front of her eyes. Slumping down against the wall she hugged herself tightly, trying to stop her body's violent shaking, the scar on her left arm and shoulder burning worse than usual. Creating the binding had taken more out of her than she had thought it would and in that moment she was unsure if she would ever find the energy to stand back up.

She should have been more cautious. Truth be told she hadn't even been sure it would work, theoretically it was sound but... Never mind, it had.

_You don't know that. Neither of them are awake yet, you have no idea what you have done_, a small voice whispered in her head. She immediately dismissed it. She'd done what she had to and that was all there was to say.

She remained where she was until the trembling stopped, and then she grabbed the bundle, forced herself to her feet and stumbled out the door and back down the stairs.

**oOoOo**

The sound of boots scuffing against the stone floor made McCoy look up from the fire he was attempting to start. The sun was still high in the sky but the small house was shaded by the taller surrounding buildings, making the room cooler than it would otherwise have been, something that couldn't be good for either Jim or the elf.

As the black girl stepped through the doorway she stumbled and had to lean heavily on the door frame to steady herself, clutching a wrapped bundle to her chest.

_Poor girl looks just about done in._

Bones rose to his feet, went to her and reached out his hand.

"Here, let me."

She jerked back, nearly tumbling over again.

"I'm fine," she bit out.

There was no way Leonard could have missed the mix of fear overlaid with anger in her eyes and he let his hand drop and stepped back, allowing her free passage into the room.

She passed him and went to the far side of the room near the window and dumped her things on the floor.

"Do you know if there's any water near here? I could use some for cooking," McCoy asked.

"There should be some in the back of the house." Before Bones had a chance to move she went past him again and ventured further into the building, returning a few moments later carrying a bucket in her hands.

She tried to hand it over but the strength of her left arm failed her, making the bucket tip and spill some of its contents. McCoy grabbed hold of the bucket, putting it gently on the ground while Nyota stepped back cradling her arm.

Bones looked at her.

"Where are you hurt? How did it happen?"

He reached out for her only to find himself nose-to-point with a knife.

"Don't touch me."

He stepped back, holding up his hands, palms out.

"I only meant to help."

"I told you, I'm fine," she snapped.

He could see that she was holding her left arm at an odd angle, keeping the shoulder stiff. The hostility in her eyes was even greater now and Bones realised that staying close would only make the situation worse. As much as he hated leaving his friend alone while he was still unconscious it seemed like the least bad choice.

"Listen, since we'll be here at least for the night I'm going to get some more firewood."

She gave no reply, just kept looking at him, never lowering her blade; so without saying more he turned and left.

**oOoOo**

Hearing the healer's footsteps disappear into the distance, Nyota slowly lowered the knife and slid it back in the sheath along her lower arm where she always carried it. Her hands started to tremble again and the pain in her arm brought tears to her eyes.

She wanted nothing more than to just collapse into a heap on the floor, but she feared that if she did she would never get back up again. Casting about for something to do to distract herself from her pain and exhaustion her gaze fell on Spock, his hair a tangled mess matted by his own blood.

Lifting the bucket precariously in her right hand she moved it next to the elf, then knelt down beside him. Shifting him as gently as she could with her bad arm, she pulled his hair free of his body. The elf did not stir during the process, still caught deeply in adapting to the forced bond. Once she had his hair free she covered him once again, then gently lifted it and began to wash it in the bucket.

**oOoOo**

The first thing Jim became aware of was how much his body hurt. Samue*, not just his body, even his teeth and hair seemed to hurt. The last time he had felt remotely this bad he had woken to Bones berating him for drinking a full bottle of Ladonian whiskey.

He lay still trying to recall what had happened after he agreed to being tied to the elf, but the memories felt... vague and slightly distorted, as if he had been caught in some bizarre nightmare. Though not all of it had been unpleasant, the colours had been so vibrant and... No, he just couldn't find the words for it which made remembering even harder.

Giving up he tried to sit, but found he couldn't even lift his head. Even that slight effort garnered a groan of pain.

"Don't try to move," he heard the young woman say.

He turned his head weakly in the direction of her voice and forced his eyes to open. His vision was slightly blurry, but he could see her sitting next to the elf.

"Ho-" he tried to say, but his mouth was so dry his voice broke. Licking his lips in an attempt to moisten his mouth he saw her rise and go to pick up one of their water skins. She knelt beside him, putting one hand under his head to help him lift it as she held the mouth of the skin against his lips.

The water was lukewarm and had a slightly stale after-taste, but to his parched mouth and throat it felt like bliss and he drank greedily for several seconds.

As she lowered his head back down he muttered a weak "thank you."

Following her with his eyes as she returned the water skin to their packs he noticed the stiff posture of her torso.

"Are you-"

"It will take some time for you both to adjust to the bonds and it is likely that you will feel a bit weak until you do."

He couldn't help a chuckle. Turning she looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face as if she had not expected his amusement.

"A bit?" he said with dry humour. "I suppose that is one way of putting it. I feel like I've been trampled by a destrier."

She went back to the elf's side and proceeded with her task of cleaning his hair.

For several moments Jim remained where he was, simply studying her, then a thought struck him.

"Where's Bones?"

She didn't lift her head from her task.

"The healer? He went to collect more wood. It is likely we will be here at least a day."

"In that case I probably should start cooking."

He attempted yet again to get up, this time reaching a sitting position before he had to stop pushing himself. Jim saw the dark skinned woman shake her head in exasperation as she looked on.

"Or maybe not," he muttered.

For several moments only the soft splashing of the woman's ministrations was audible, then Kirk broke the silence once more.

"Can I help you with that? It seems I can at least remain sitting."

"Are you always this restless?" she asked.

"Often I'm worse, just ask Bones," Jim grinned weakly.

"It might be best if you did. Physical intimacy between you will aid the bond in settling and give you both more energy than you would otherwise possess."

"What do you mean by that?" Kirk knew his voice held a bite and he could feel colour rise in his face.

She looked sharply up at him, puzzled.

"Ah, I see. I have no use for euphemisms knight, if I had meant sex I would have said so. I was referring to staying in physical contact, touches, hugs, washing his hair," she answered coolly.

"I... see. I apologise. I didn't mean to bite, I'm just not-"

"I would not care if you were."

Jim managed to find the energy to shift along the floor so he ended up side by side with her.

"Truly, I'm sorry. Truce?" He held out his hand.

She studied him and his extended hand.

"You do not fear to touch me," she muttered, more to herself than to him.

"Should I?"

She still hesitated.

"I know better than to lend credence to wild rumours."

"Sometimes rumours are true."

"Sometimes yes, but if you wished me harm you have had ample opportunity to inflict it."

"Perhaps I'm biding my time."

"Well, I'll take my chances then. Wait, we haven't even introduced ourselves have we? Jim Kirk."

"Sir Jim?"

"James if you must. But it's only ever in use when my mother is angry with me."

Cautiously she took his hand.

"Uhura. Nyota Uhura," she said, finding her voice not entirely steady.

"Nyota?"

She bit her lip.

"If you wish."

"Jim then." He let go of her hand. A worried look crossed his face and he glanced towards the door. "What _is_ keeping Leonard? Gathering firewood can't take that much time. Not in a damn forest."

"Perhaps... I should look for him?"

"Do you know how long I'll remain this incapacitated?"

She shook her head.

"I'm afraid not," she answered apologetically.

"Then I think it'll be a bad idea to split up further. I won't be able to care for our friend here alone and I doubt he'll feel better than I do when I wake."

"Most likely not."

"Then let's give Bones a little more time before we start to worry." He shook his head. Gently he touched the elf's hair. Uhura had managed to get most of the blood out, except up near the nape of his neck, but the black locks were dripping wet. "Would you mind getting me my pack? I want something to dry his hair with."

"Which one?"

"The one against the fireplace."

She picked it up and carried it to him. As she handed it over her stomach suddenly growled loudly and she realised she hadn't eaten anything since the day before, nor had she had the chance to grab any food before she left the village.

Kirk smiled warmly.

"Listen there's hard bread and dried rations in Leonard's pack if you're hungry."

She grabbed the healer's pack and undid the strap. The food, along with a cooking pot, was near the top. She pulled out a piece of bread and chewed into it. It was rock hard and more than a bit stale, but to Nyota it tasted like heaven. She also pulled out one of the pieces of dried rations which looked to be grain and dried fruit and meat pressed together.

"You eat this?"

"Only when nothing else is available. They'll keep you alive, though you may not enjoy them doing it. I recommend cooking them first, makes them marginally more edible."

After taking a few more bites of the bread she grabbed the pot and fetched some more water. Rearranging the fire to accommodate the pot she lit the wood, broke up some of the dried rations and dropped them into the water.

While Nyota started her cooking, Jim settled down and did his best to get the remaining blood out of the elf's hair, afterwards using one of his shirts to gently dry off the long silky strands. *Samue, The Lady of the Shield. Goddess, protector of common folk and those in need.


End file.
